Meta l-Parlament jistenbaħ

 

It-Times online irrappurtat dwar rapport li l-Ministru Manwel Mallia qiegħed fuq il-mejda tal-Kamra wara talba li saret għal dan mill-Membru Parlamentari Anthony Agius Decelis. Rapport li ilna nafu bih xhur twal!

Huwa tajjeb, anzi tajjeb ħafna, li l-Parlament jistenbaħ għar-realtá ta’ madwarna. U din ir-realtá hi sempliċi ħafna. Mhux diffiċli biex tinftiehem.

Is-suċċess ekonomiku tal-Freeport, tgħid din ir-realtá, qed iħallsu għalih ir-residenti ta’ Birżebbuġa. Għal ħafna snin ħadd ma kienet qiegħed jagħti kaz. Huwa tajjeb li fl-aħħar hemm min qiegħed jistenbaħ.

Imma waqt li l-Onorevoli Agius Delicata (u oħrajn) kien rieqed, ħaddieħor kien qiegħed jaħdem biex iktar persuni jirrealizzaw x’inhu jiġri. Għax ir-rapport dwar il-ħsejjes ma sarx waħdu. Sar għax il-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa ħadem kemm felaħ ħalli l-Freeport jerfa’ r-responsabbiltajiet tiegħu.

L-isfida reali hi li l-Freeport iwettaq ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet li fih dak ir-rapport! Hi triq twila u anke hemm naslu!

Political calculation or environmental principle?

 

Joseph Muscat’s declaration that the Freeport Terminal will not be permitted to expand in Birżebbuġa’s direction due to its impacts on the residential community will inevitably have an effect on the Planning Authority. Viewed in the context of the recent Planning Authority decision not to approve the proposed Ħondoq ir-Rummien development, a pattern seems to be developing.

Given the fact that these two decisions are closely associated with localities that politically support the Labour Party it is still not clear whether this newly discovered sensitivity to restrict development which negatively impacts residential communities is based on political calculation or on environmental principle. This consideration is inevitable, in particular due to the report in this newspaper on 22 June that the Prime Minister had stated, in a discussion with environmental NGO Flimkien għall-Ambjent Aħjar, that he does not care about impact assessments, as residents get used to everything. As far as I am aware, the Office of the Prime Minister never corrected this report.

The Freeport Terminal debate clearly indicates that Birżebbuġa residents are determined to deliver a different message: they have had enough. During the last seven years there has been an ongoing tug-of-war between Birżebbuġa Local Council, MEPA and the Freeport Terminal Management. This has led to a number of improvements, the most important of which was the setting up of a tripartite Environmental Monitoring Committee that has served to build some bridges and to explore solutions to existing problems caused by the operation of the Freeport Terminal.

There was a time, around two years ago, when pressure was put on Birżebbuġa Local Council to drop its objections to specific operations. I distinctly remember representatives from the oil-rig repair industry  trying to convince the Council of the “benefits” that an oil-rig industry based at the Freeport Terminal could generate.

When these representatives realised that no one was convinced, an amendment to the environmental permit was forced through the then MEPA Board. To their credit, only three of the then board members understood the real issues and voted against the proposal: the two MPs (Joe Sammut and Ryan Callus) and the environmental NGO representative Alex Vella of the Ramblers Association.

The amended environmental permit would have permitted minor repairs to ships and oil-rigs berthed at the Freeport Terminal. However, after the MEPA Board meeting all hell broke loose, leading Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to disassociate himself from its decision and publicly align himself with the minority on the board opposing the changes. He then stated that he was in agreement with “his representative”, Labour MP Joe Sammut.

While the Freeport Terminal, faced with the reaction of residents, eventually relinquished the newly-acquired permit, the internal debate within the Labour Party continued, leading to the recent statement by Joseph Muscat that he is not in agreement with an expansion of the Freeport Terminal operations that would have a negative impact on the Birżebbuġa community.

Irrespective of whether it is a matter of principle or a political calculation which has led the Prime Minister to make such a statement, I submit that this is still a significant turning point that has been achieved as a direct result of Birżebbuġa Local Council’s persistent lobbying. It contrasts with the position taken by the Leader of the Opposition, who looks forward to an increase in the operations of the Freeport Terminal, without batting an eyelid over the resulting, continuously increasing, impact on the residential community.

The Prime Minister’s statement, while being a positive first step, is certainly not enough. It needs to be translated into policy as an integral part of the revised Local Plans currently under consideration. It is also important that the Prime Minister’s newly identified sensitivities are exported to other areas in Malta and Gozo. It is essential that, in a small country such as ours, third party rights opposing “development” are reinforced.

The issue at stake is far larger than Birżebbbuġa or the Freeport Terminal. It is a tug-of-war between those supporting “development” at all costs and our residential communities. The government must, through planning policy, be supportive of all our residential communities without exception.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday – 31st July 2016

Il-Freeport : tagħlima kbira

Jekk Simon Busuttil  inħasad, jiena xejn ma kont sorpriż bid-dikjarazzjoni tal-Prim Ministru Joseph Muscat li huwa ma jaqbilx li l-Port Ħieles jibqa’ jespandi fid-direzzjoni ta’ Birżebbuġa. Dan għaliex osservajt id-deċiżjoni tinbena biċċa biċċa. Kultant b’sogru kbir għal dawk involuti.

Forsi l-iktar mument kritiku kien meta l-Bord tal-MEPA kien iddiskuta emenda għall-permess ambjentali tal-Port Ħieles u dan il-Bord kien ivvota fil-maġġoranza kbir tiegħu favur din l-emenda. Ħlief tlieta: iż-żewġ membri Parlamentari (Joe Sammut u Ryan Callus) u r-rappreżentant tal-NGOs ambjentali Alex Vella tar-Ramblers Association.

L-emenda kienet biex ikun permess fil-Port Ħieles xogħol żgħir ta’ tiswija ta’ vapuri u oilrigs! Il-Kunsill ta’ Birżebbuġa dakinnhar kien għamel lobbying qawwi kontra l-emenda, imma din xorta kienet approvata mill-Bord tal-MEPA.

Imma wara l-laqgħa tal-Bord tal-MEPA qamu l-irwiefen kollha. Ir-residenti semmgħu leħinhom b’mod mill-iktar ċar u irnexxielhom joħolqu diskussjoni mqanqla anke fil-Partit Laburista tant li wasslu lil Joseph Muscat biex b’mod ċar jgħid fil-pubbliku illi hu ma kienx jaqbel mad-deċiżjoni li kien ħa l-Bord tal-MEPA. Kien iddikjara publikament li kien jaqbel mal-vot kontra (fil-Bord tal-MEPA) tal-Membru Parlamentari Laburista Joe Sammut, inċidentalment li jirrappreżenta lid-Distrett li minnu jifforma parti Birżebbuġa fil-Parlament. Eventwalment minħabba r-reażżjoni pubblika l-Port Ħieles ma baqax jinsisti għall-permess li kien kiseb għal xogħol ta’ tiswijiet minuri fuq vapuri u oilrigs.

Wara dan l-inċident jidher li kompla id-dibattitu fil-Partit Laburista li wassal għad-deċiżjoni li n-nies f’Birżebbuġa jixirqilhom li jkunu mħarsa mill-impatti tal-Port Ħieles ħafna iktar milli kienu sal-lum.

Jiena naħseb li dan huwa punt importanti ħafna u l-mertu għalih huwa prinċipalment tal-Kunsilliera Laburisti fil-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa: fuq quddiem nett is-Sindku tal-lum, Kevin Barun, imma ukoll Joseph Farrugia ir-Ricky li bħala l-ewwel Sindku ta’ Birżebbuġa ħejja t-triq illi wasslet għal din id-deċiżjoni.

Imma issa huwa importanti li din ma tkunx biss rebħa ta’ Birżebbuġa. L-effetti tagħha jeħtieg li jinfirxu billi minnha l-Partit Laburista jieħu tagħlima kbira: il-konsiderazzjoni tal-impatti fuq in-nies ta’ kull proġett ta’ żvilupp (hi x’inhi n-natura tiegħu) hija fundamentali daqs, jekk mhux iktar, mill-konsiderazzjonijiet ekonomiċi.

Ikun tajjeb li naraw jekk u kif din it-tagħlima ser tkun applikata tul ix-xhur li ġejjin. Taqbida bejn is-saħħa tan-nies u s-saħħa tal-flus.

ippubblikat ukoll fuq iNews : l-Erbgħa 27 ta’ Lulju 2016

The Freeport: who pays the price for its economic success?

 

There are conflicting views on the acceptability or otherwise of the operations of the Freeport Terminal at Kalafrana, limits of Birżebbuġa. Throughout the years, governments have repeatedly emphasised that the Freeport’s contribution to Malta’s economic growth justifies practically anything. It has been implied that no sacrifice was to be spared for the Freeport to be transformed into an economic success.

As a result, the residential community of Birżebbuġa has been forced to sacrifice its quality of life.

Putting it briefly, it is the result of a lack of planning prior to the setting up of the Planning Authority. Land required for the Freeport was expropriated as far back as 1962, yet a considerable residential area was developed close by in the mid-1980s. No suitable buffer zones were created to shield the Birżebbuġa community from the operational impacts of the Freeport. Had this been done when the Freeport was not even on the drawing board, the present day problems would have been substantially less than what they actually are today.

A major issue is the noise generated, particularly during the quiet hours. Advisors to the Freeport Terminal recently submitted the results of a 12-month noise monitoring survey which was conducted over the period February 2014 to January 2015. The report lists a number of recommended remedial measures, both those required in the short term as well as those requiring a longer time frame to implement. The 15 short-term measures and the seven long-term ones are no guarantee that issues of acoustic pollution will disappear. Reductions in impacts are anticipated even though no projections have yet been made as to whether these will be cancelled out by impacts resulting from an increase in operations at the Freeport Terminal.

A major contributor to noise pollution originating from the Freeport Terminal during the quiet hours is the humming of the main and auxiliary engines of the berthed vessels in port. It is for this specific reason that the Environmental Monitoring Committee at the Freeport Terminal (which includes representation from the Birżebbuġa Local Council) has insisted right through that the shore to ship electrical supply to vessels berthed at the Freeport Terminal should be addressed.

The final report of the 12-month noise survey in fact points at the necessity of undertaking studies on the feasibility of this proposal. This is in line with the 8 May 2006 Recommendation of the Commission of the European Union on the promotion of shore-side electricity for use by ships at berth in community ports (Recommendation 2006/339/EC).

The EU recommendation is specifically intended to be considered by EU ports “where air quality limit values are exceeded or where public concern is expressed about high levels of noise nuisance, and especially in berths situated near residential areas” .

The above makes the point on a reduction of the quality of life of the residential community as a result of just one issue: noise. Then there are other issues amongst which light pollution (resulting from the floodlights at the terminal), which issue is being addressed, as well as the lack of availability of a substantial portion of Marsaxlokk Bay which cannot be adequately used for water sports. Add to this the large number of sports facilities which the British Services developed in the past in the Birżebbuġa Area, most of which have been gobbled up by the development of the Freeport and one gets a real feel as to what the Freeport has done to the quality of life of the Birżebbuġa community.

The development of a waterpolo pitch to replace that constructed in the 60s as well as the development of a football ground, both in the final stages of completion will reduce these impacts. But they will certainly not be sufficient for a community which had so many more sports facilities when it was so much smaller.

To be fair, the Freeport Terminal is not the only contributor to the reduction of the Birżebbuġa residents’ quality of life. Generally, it is the result of the gradual industrialisation of the Marsaxlokk Port over the last thirty years. The addition of the floating gas storage facility servicing the gas-fired Delimara Power Station in the coming weeks (or months) will further increase these problems.

The concerns of ordinary people have been ignored for far too long. Maybe this is why the Prime Minister commented earlier this week on the undesirability of any further expansion of the Freeport Terminal. Possibly he has, at this late hour, realised the extent of the mess which has been created.

The time to clean up is long overdue.

published  on The Malta Independent on Sunday : 24 July 2016

F’Birżebbuġa, issa l-pass li jmiss.

 

Nigel Mifsud, il-bieraħ, fuq TVM, spjega f’rapport konċiż u informattiv, kif issa, hemm il-provi li l-kontributur ewlieni għat-tniġġiż mill-ħsejjes f’Birżebbuġa hu l-Port Ħieles.

Biex inkun preċiż ir-rapport dwar l-impatti tal-ħsejjes mill-Port Ħieles fuq Birżebbuġa għadu mhux lest għal kollox. L-istudju lest u l-ewwel abbozz tar-rapport ġie diskuss. Jonqos issa li jsiru l-aħħar irtokki biex ikun konkluż ir-rapport finali.

Li sar l-istudju huwa importanti ħafna. Għax issa hemm il-provi li dak li ilhom jgħidu r-residenti hu minnu. Huwa ukoll ikkwantifikat.

Imma tajjeb li nifhmu li biex l-istudju sar kien hemm ħtieġa ta’ ħafna ħidma. Minnu innifsu kien ukoll proċess edukattiv li fih imxew flimkien il-MEPA, l-Port Ħieles u l-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa.

Kienet triq twila, għax għal bidu mhux kulħadd kien konvint li dik kienet it-triq. Anke matul it-triq kien hemm min ġieli qata’ qalbu. Imma fl-aħħar wasalna. U biex wasalna għandhom mertu diversi persuni.

Dan hu awgurju tajjeb fi tmiem din is-sena. Li bil-paċenzja hu possibli li tasal.

Issa irridu bl-istess ħeġġa nagħmlu l-passi li jmiss: li jittieħdu l-miżuri neċessarji biex il-ħoss jonqos.

Għax, kif dejjem ngħid: hu tajjeb li l-Port Ħieles jagħti kontribut għall-ekonomija tal-pajjiz. Dan il-kontribut, iżda, m’għandux inaqqas il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti ta’ Birżebbuġa.

Hi rebħa kbira, mhux biss għal Birżebbuġa, li wasalna sa hawn. Inħarsu l-quddiem b’kuraġġ. I

ppubblikat ukoll fuq iNews : l-Erbgħa 30 ta’ Diċembru 2015

 

Smelling the coffee

 

Last Thursday was one of those very rare occasions when the MEPA Board, considering two different development applications submitted by the Freeport Terminal operator, decided on the one which will be beneficial to Birżebbuġa residents.

I must confess that I was surprised at this, as I am accustomed to a MEPA which thinks and acts differently. I do not know whether Thursday’s sitting was a one-off or else whether it signals that the Authority has at last realised that the quality of life of our communities should be the real focus of its endeavours. Only time will tell.

The first application was to renew an approved permit in connection with  dredging work aimed at enabling larger ships to make use of the West Quay of Terminal 1. The second application proposed the installation of larger cranes with 140-metre jibs. The cranes currently in use have 110-metre jibs.

After repeated representations from the Birżebbuġa local council, as well as Birżebbuġa residents, MEPA-weeks before Thursday’s meeting- informed the Freeport Terminal Operator that siting these large cranes along the West Quay of Terminal 1 was unacceptable due to their impact on the quality of life of  residents, a number of whom live just across the road from the Freeport Terminal boundary wall.

The management of the Freeport Terminal complied with MEPA’s instructions to relocate the 140-metre jib cranes. This, however, begged the further question as to whether or not the pending dredging work was, in fact, now required.

The MEPA Board unanimously accepted the submission from the local council that, in view of the relocation of the cranes, there was no further need for the dredging permit and this was therefore not renewed.

Regarding the second application, seeking authorisation to replace a number of existing cranes with 110-metre jibs with more modern models having 140-jibs, the local council sought an explanation as to why a proposal for the siting of a power station close by – at il-Mara Bengħajsa (with an 80-metre high chimney) in the late 1980s was shot down by the Civil Aviation authorities, who are now accepting the installation of 140-metre high jibs.

During the discussion, it transpired that the clearance issued by Transport Malta was ambiguous. In fact, Transport Malta stated that the 140-metre jib cranes “will penetrate one of the established aeronautical protection surfaces by circa 18m and although this situation is not desirable, given the importance of this facility to the economy, on exceptional basis and without prejudice to any future request it is being considered acceptable subject to the following mitigations ………………”

You have read correctly. The 140-metre jib cranes are “not desirable” yet they are “being considered acceptable” by Transport Malta due to the importance of the Freeport to the economy.

The MEPA Chairman is insisting that Transport Malta owes us an explanation. He could have added that safety should not be compromised for any reason, including “economic importance”.

In a further twist in the whole saga, the Freeport Terminal management proceeded with the installation of the new cranes without waiting for a MEPA decision on the development permit requested.

Public opinion has been repeatedly critical of MEPA for its insensitivity to the impact of developments on residents in various localities. Economic operators were afforded  sufficient protection to be able to over-ride the growing environmental concerns of our communities.

The same MEPA Board which, last Thursday, unanimously decided to refuse the renewal of a development permit to carry out dredging work had, 18 months ago, voted by a large majority in favour of changes to the Freeport’s environmental permit such that it would have been permissible to carry out repairs to ships and oil rigs at the Kalafrana Terminal.  It was only at the insistence of the Birżebbuġa Local Council that the Freeport Terminal management opted not to use the permit issued.

The question to which I seek an answer to is whether Thursday’s events signify that MEPA has awoken up from its slumber and smelled the coffee  It would indeed be commendable if it is capable of standing up to corporate (and state) arrogance.

Ending MEPA’s Rip van Winkle phase would signify that, after all, the possibility to improve the quality of life in Malta through better environment protection does exist, after all. But time is running out.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday – 22 November 2015

Meta l-MEPA tiftaħ għajnejha

 

Il-bieraħ kont preżenti għal-laqgħa tal-Bord tal-MEPA fejn fost affarijiet oħra ġew diskussi żewġ applikazzjonijiet dwar il-Port Ħieles. Kont qed nassisti lill-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa.

Waħda minn dawn l-applikazzjonijiet kienet biex isir xogħol ta’ dredging ħdejn il-moll tal-Port Ħieles l-iktar viċin tar-residenti ta’ Birżebbuġa (West Quay ta’ Terminal 1). L-oħra kienet dwar l-istallazzjoni ta’ krejnijiet ġodda ta’ għoli ta’ 140 metru.

Il-krejnijiet  il-ġodda għall-ewwel kienu destinati biex jitqegħdu fuq il-West Quay ta’ Terminal 1 ukoll. Imma wara li l-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa u bosta residenti oġġezzjonaw għal dan, il-MEPA insistiet mal-Port Ħieles li post il-krejnijiet kellu jinbidel għax dak propost ma kienx aċċettabbli.

Il-maniġment tal-Port Ħieles aċċetta li l-krejnijiet jitqegħdu iktar il-bogħod mir-residenzi f’Birżebbuġa.

Bħala riżultat ta’ dan, il-konsegwenza logika kienet waħda ovvja : jekk il-krejniet ma kienux ser jitqegħdu fil-West Quay ta’ Terminal 1 xi ħtieġa kien għad baqa’ li jsir ix-xogħol tad–dredging?  Ir-residenti  kellhom id-dritt li jkollhom insurance minn attività fil-Port Ħieles li toħloqilhom inkonvenjent.  Dan il-permess li kienu qed jitolbu l-Port Ħieles ma kienx hemm iktar bżonnu.

Jiena ma ridtx nemmen lil widnejja iktar tard meta b’vot unanimu l-Bord tal-MEPA iddeċieda favur Birżebbuġa meta qal le għal iktar xogħol ta’ dredging fil-Port Ħieles. Flimkien miegħi taw kontribut kbir fid-diskussjoni s-Sindku ta’ Birżebbuġa Kevin Barun, il-predeċessur tiegħu r-“Ricky” Joseph Farrugia u l-Onor. Marlene Farrugia u John Grech mill-għaqda ambjentali Birżebbuġa Environmental Action Group.

L-applikazzjoni dwar il-krejnijiet waqfet ukoll u dan minħabba li hemm bżonn li l-parir tal-awtoritajiet tal-avjazzjoni ċivili jkun wieħed ċar. S’issa jidher li dawn qed iduru mal-lewża għax il-krejnijiet huma għoljin wisq u x’aktarx li jinfdu l-flightpath riżervat għall-ajruplani. Jekk dan hu hekk jista’ jkun ta’ periklu.

Jiena għalija din kienet esperjenza ġdida. Ma nafx lill-MEPA taħdem b’dan il-mod. Is-soltu tibqa’ għaddejja qiesha romblu minn fuq id-drittijiet tar-residenti. Jidher li l-bieraħ il-MEPA fetħet għajnejha beraħ.

Nittama li ma tagħlaqhomx iktar. Għax meta l-MEPA tiftaħ għajnejha hemm ċans tajjeb li dan jirrifletti ruħu fi kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar għalina lkoll.

Mhux biss f’Birżebbuġa, iżda kullimkien.

€miljun għal Birżebbuġa

Id-Direttorat tal-Ippjanar tal-MEPA għadu kif ikkonkluda r-rapport dwar l-applikazzjoni tal-management tal-Port Ħieles biex jinġiebu krejnijiet ġodda. Dawn il-krejnijiet fil-fatt waslu l-bieraħ.

Dan ir-rapport jikkonferma li l-MEPA, wara li rċiviet diversi oġġezzjonijiet, kemm mill-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa kif ukoll mir-residenti, insistiet li jinbidlu l-pjanti u jitneħħew il-krejniet mill-parti tal-Port Ħieles li hi l-iktar viċin taż-żona residenzjali. Dan hu pass il-quddiem. Għax ir-residenti huma bir-raġun mxebbgħin bl-impatti tal-Port Ħieles fuq il-ħajja tagħhom, anke jekk tul dawn l-aħħar ħames snin ittieħdu passi biex dan ikun indirizzat.

Id-Direttorat tal-Ippanar qed jirrakkomanda ukoll li minħabba l-impatti tal-Port Ħieles fuq Birżebbuġa, jsir ħlas mill-Port Ħieles ta’ €955,000 biex jintużaw fuq xogħolijiet f’Birżebbuġa. Eżatt liema ser ikunu dawn ix-xogħolijiet għadu mhux ċar imma dawn affarijiet li jiġu ċċarati matul il-ġranet u l-ġimgħat li ġejjin bejn il-MEPA u l-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa.

Fil-waqt li din hi aħbar tajba għal Birżebbuġa tajjeb li niftakru li sitt snin ilu, fl-2009, il-MEPA kienet ukoll ħadet deċiżjoni simili. L-ammont dakinnhar kien ta’ €741,820. Imma dakinnhar il-Port Ħieles kien appella minn dik id-deċiżjoni u l-Kabinett ta’ Lawrence Gonzi kien żamm mal-Port Ħieles u lill-Birżebbuġa ċaħħada minn dawn il-flus u Birżebbuġa tħalliet tittewweb .

Wara l-esperjenza qarsa ta’ sitt snin ilu nistennew u naraw kif ser jiżviluppaw l-affarijiet.

Jafu x’inhuma jagħmlu?

 

Dal-għodu l-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa f’Konferenza Stampa spjega kif l-Awtorità tat-Trasport iddeċidiet illi fil-Bajja s-Sabiħa (Pretty Bay) jinbeda proġett għall-irmiġġi tad-dgħajjes. Ħafna movement ta’ dgħajjes ma jgħinx biex titjieb il-kwalita’ tal-ilma baħar b’mod li jkun tajjeb għall-għawm.

Fl-istess ħin l-Awtorità tat-Turiżmu kienet qed tikkoordina mal-Kunsill biex is-servizzi fil-Bajja jitjiebu u b’hekk ikun iktar possibli illi tingħata l-bandiera l-Blú (Blue Flag Status).

Verament każ tal-id ix-xellugija ma tafx x’inhi tagħmel l-id il-leminija!

 

Fil-Port Ħieles ……………. issa x’imiss?

 

Kienet aħbar tajba dal-għodu li l-permess ambjentali tal-Port Ħieles inbidel biex ġie kif kien qabel ma ħolmu bit-tiswija tal-oil rigs u l-vapuri.

Il-MEPA ġimgħat ilu ħadu d-deċiżjoni li jpoġġu l-vantaġġ kummerċjali tal-Port Ħieles qabel dak li xtaqu r-residenti. Hekk iddeċidew. Ippruvaw ukoll kważi jgħadduna biż-żmien waqt il-laqgħa tal-Bord tal-MEPA meta l-każ kien qed jiġi ikkunsidrat.

Tlett membri tal-Bord tal-MEPA dakinnhar fehmu lin-nies u ivvutaw kontra l-permess ambjentali li kien jippermetti t-tiswijiet tal-oil rigs u l-vapuri. Insellmilhom. Lil Alex Vella mir-Ramblers li jwassal fuq il-Bord tal-MEPA il-leħen tal-għaqdiet ambjentali. Lil Ryan Callus (PN) u Joe Sammut (PL) li ukoll taw l-appoġġ tagħhom lir-residenti ta’ Birżebbuġa.

Ankè Joseph Muscat, Prim Ministru, dakinnhar kien iddikjara li d-deċiżjoni tal-Bord tal-MEPA ma kienitx aċċettabbli. Muscat, dakinnhar kien assoċja ruħu mal-posizzjoni li kien ħa Joe Sammut, membru Parlamentari Laburista fuq il-Bord tal-MEPA li kien ivvota kontra l-permess.

U issa?

Tajjeb li nirrejalizzaw li l-permess ġie irtirat fuq talba tal-Port Ħieles stess li irrealizza li ma setax jibqa’ jaħdem kontra l-volonta tar-residenti.

Jiġifieri l-MEPA m’għandha l-ebda mertu f’dak li qed jiġri. Li kien għal MEPA l-permess għadu hemm kif iddeċidew oriġinalment.

Jiena m’hu ser nitlob ir-riżenja ta’ ħadd. Billi m’għandhomx żejt f’wiċċhom, għalxejn nitlob li jirreżenjaw. Imma hu xieraq li l-Gvern jeżamina ftit x’tip ta’nies qed jaħtar fuq il-Bordijiet. Dan hu eżempju ċar li l-membri tal-Bord tal-MEPA, bl-eċċezzjoni ta’ Falzon, Callus u Sammut jiġu jaqgħu u jqumu min-nies. Tajjeb li jibqgħu jinħatru dawn it-tip ta’ nies? Naħseb li le. Iktar ma jwarrbu malajr, aħjar għal kulħadd.

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Biex tara l-istorja kollha kif żviluppat ara l-blogposts segwenti fuq dan il-blog:

4 t’April 2014: Tarżna żgħira f’Birżebbuġa.

5 t’April 2014 : Oil rigs f’Birżebbuġa: Gvern li jipprova jgħaddik biż-żmien.

1 ta’ Mejju 2014: It-Tarżna fil-Port Ħieles.